Wilderness is critical for Montana’s recreation economy, economic health, and spiritual well-being. It provides solace, memories, clean water, and wildlife habitat. And yet, the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Montana seem to value temporary and damaging mining activities over the Wilderness of the Last Best Place. It’s not right, and it needs to be stopped.
Wilderness is critical for Montana’s recreation economy, economic health, and spiritual well-being. It provides solace, memories, clean water, and wildlife habitat. And yet, the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Montana seem to value temporary and damaging mining activities over the Wilderness of the Last Best Place. It’s not right, and we need your help to stop it.
Please take a minute and urge the U.S. Forest Service to protect the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness from irresponsible mining.
Currently, Hecla Mining and its CEO Phillips S. Baker are pursuing an exploration permit for the Montanore Mine that would dig a massive tunnel under the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness – a small, but crucial, refuge for threatened grizzly bears and bull trout. Hecla’s proposed mines would cause irreparable damage to the clean water and endangered species of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness.
What’s more, last year the State of Montana took enforcement action against Hecla’s CEO, Phillips S. Baker, under the state’s “bad actor” law, which prevents mining companies and their senior executives from getting a new permit if they haven’t cleaned up their old messes or reimbursed the state. Baker’s former company Pegasus stuck Montana with a massive cleanup of several mines. Hecla and Baker are now challenging this determination in court, trying to shirk responsibility for past environmental damage.
Keep in mind, the full mine plan was already rejected by the courts for violating the Clean Water Act, National Forest Management Act and the Endangered Species Act. Just last week, a Montana district court judge found the project’s pollution discharge permit to be unlawful. Now, the company is back with another foul smelling proposal, pushing for a new exploration permit to dig under the Wilderness.
The U.S. Forest Service recently issued a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the Montanore mine. We need you to take action TODAY, and to tell the Forest Service to protect Montana’s Wilderness, clean water, and wildlife by choosing the “no action” alternative.
